Episode 1037 (23rd December 1970)
Plot Everyone except Albert cancels the panto because of Joe's death and the tickets are given to twenty underprivileged children but Emily and Len can't find any chaperones aside from Albert. Minnie goes out for dinner with friend Rosemary Kennedy and Albert has to make his own dinner. Minnie is still saddened at Joe's death. Irma signs a statement about Joe's confession concerning him being the cause of Steve Tanner's death and Castle tells her the latter case will be reopened. Albert is unfazed by the thought of all the children. Castle asks to interview Stan. Hilda thinks it'll to be to be given a medal. The children turn out to be completely wild and Bet makes Emily realise Albert won't be able to cope alone. She takes the afternoon off work and goes with him with some trepidation. Elsie tells Alan she always thought Len had killed Steve. Gregg and Gary decide to throw a farewell party in the Rovers with all the drinks on them. Castle interviews Minnie and she signs her statement. She insists that Joe was a kind young man and that's how she'll remember him. Gregg, Gary and their pals turn up for the party with all the food. Albert turns up in the Rovers alone and tells the regulars that Emily disappeared during the meal when the children started flicking rice around. Castle interviews Elsie and admits she was on his list of suspects. A dishevelled Emily arrives at the pub and tells the regulars that Albert was a bigger handful than the children and that's why she fled. Maggie is sad that Gregg is leaving for Germany and says her goodbyes to him at home, not wanting to go to the party. Annie makes a speech of farewell at the party and a toast to Christmas and the New Year. Minnie tells Ena she doesn't like living with Albert any more. Cast Regular cast *Minnie Caldwell - Margot Bryant *Len Fairclough - Peter Adamson *Billy Walker - Kenneth Farrington *Annie Walker - Doris Speed *Ena Sharples - Violet Carson *Irma Barlow - Sandra Gough *Bet Lynch - Julie Goodyear *Elsie Howard - Patricia Phoenix (Credited as "Elsie Tanner") *Hilda Ogden - Jean Alexander *Albert Tatlock - Jack Howarth *Emily Nugent - Eileen Derbyshire *Maggie Clegg - Irene Sutcliffe *Alan Howard - Alan Browning *Stan Ogden - Bernard Youens Guest cast *Detective Chief Inspector Castle - Hugh Cross *Gregg Flint - Bill Nagy (Credited as "Greg Flint") *Gary Strauss - Callen Angelo *Fred Makin - Arthur Spreckley *Sergeant Ucello - David Cargill *Sergeant - Paul Stender Places *Coronation Street *Rovers Return Inn - Public/Snug *1 Coronation Street - Back room *Corner Shop - Back room Notes *The scenes on the Grape Street set were all OB recorded. Unusually, they showed glimpses of the gates to the yard containing the set where Rosamund Street ought to be. *Beatrice Neild, who appeared intermittently as Mrs Toft between 1969 and 1973, is an uncredited customer in the Rovers (pictured above). *A small boy outside the Rovers who asks Len Fairclough to buy him a beer is uncredited. *Although ITV had begun full-colour transmissions on 15th November 1969, the ITV Colour Strike which began on 13th November 1970 caused this episode to be recorded in black and white. *''TV Times'' synopsis: Life must go on, after all, it's Christmas *Viewing Figures: First UK broadcast - 7,700,000 homes (3rd place). Notable dialogue Hilda Ogden: "He’s a cosmopolite, is my Stan." Episode 1037